*
When Nan Qing returned the phone to Xie Chi, the score had changed to 13-8-19. He had indeed turned the tide against all odds by doing it all by himself.
However, because the early game went terribly wrong, he didn't get the MVP award, but his final damage output rate was as high as 31%, and his overall score was 11.7, which was quite impressive.
"Nanqing, that was so cool! Let's play together..."
Xie Chi held his phone, repeatedly looking at the data page, completely forgetting his earlier antics, and happily tapped the screen with his finger.
Just as Nan Qing was about to agree, Bai Youyuan, holding a pair of barbecue tongs, poked half her body in through the front door.
"Stop playing around, everything's ready, the BBQ can begin!"
Xie Chiwen immediately turned off his phone, took a long stride, and strode quickly toward the door: "Coming, coming."
Nan Qing and Shen Yao exchanged a glance, shrugged helplessly, and walked out of the villa together.
The timing was perfect; the pale red glow of the sunset lingered on the horizon, bathing the entire garden in a gentle, warm light. Many ambient lights were also lit up around the garden, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Three black ovens were already emitting wisps of smoke, and a long table next to them was piled high with fresh ingredients, including beautifully marinated steaks and glistening seafood.
The production team also lit a small bonfire and set up a circle of comfortable rattan chairs not far away.
Gu Beiyan was standing in front of a grill, skillfully and elegantly turning a thick-cut steak. The fat from the meat dripped onto the charcoal fire, stirring up wisps of white smoke with the aroma of rosemary.
As if sensing something, he suddenly looked up and met Nan Qing's gaze.
Gu Beiyan's gaze slowly moved downwards, noticing that Nan Qing had not put the gloves back on. Her slender, fair fingers were exposed to the air, and the red marks he had left on the back of her hands and wrists were very clear and conspicuous.
The faint teeth marks on the knuckles, the red dots on the back of the hand and wrist, and the lingering crimson on the fingertips—every single one of these silently proclaims someone's sovereignty.
A hint of pleasure flashed in his eyes; he wanted everyone to know that Qingqing was his!
He picked up the white porcelain plate next to him and used tongs to place the perfectly grilled steak on it. The steak was grilled to a tempting golden brown, and the glistening juices were slowly seeping out.
Gu Beiyan, carrying a steak, sat down on the wicker chair next to her. Under the warm light, the lines of his profile appeared particularly deep.
He picked up his knife and fork and carefully cut the steak into small, even pieces along the grain of the meat. The knife made almost no sound as it sliced through the tender meat.
"Try it."
He held the first piece of meat he had cut to Nanqing's lips. On the tip of his fork, the center of the steak was still glistening with an enticing pink and oily sheen.
Nan Qing put down her phone, glanced at the steak in front of her, and took a bite of the meat from his hand.
The freshness of rosemary, the saltiness of sea salt, the richness unique to Wagyu beef, and the smoky aroma of charcoal grilling—the flavors are layered and distinct. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
"Delicious!"
"Gu Beiyan, more~"
One of them fed her attentively, and the other ate attentively. A 150g steak was quickly finished. Nan Qing was still not satisfied and pulled Gu Beiyan's wrist to get up.
"Let's go grill something else."
The long table was filled with various ingredients. Nan Qing picked out many of her favorites and gathered in front of the grill to grill with Gu Beiyan.
Shen Yao also took out a guitar he had brought from inside the house at some point, and sat lazily on the wicker chair, plucking the strings with his fingertips, and a melodious and soothing folk tune flowed out.
The night breeze carried the sounds of guitars, laughter, and the aroma of food into the star-studded night sky. In that instant, the romance variety show turned into a perfect show to watch while eating.
Steak, chicken wings, corn kernels, shrimp, hot dogs, green peppers, cilantro beef, oysters, vermicelli scallops, marbled beef slices, eel, squid, chicken tendons...
Nan Qing had no idea how much she had eaten. She slumped in the rattan chair, rubbing her bulging belly, and refused Gu Beiyan's offer of another slice of pork neck.
Not only Nanqing, but everyone else was pretty much the same. It was truly a satisfying BBQ, and everyone ate to their heart's content!
Nan Qing sipped the purified water in her glass, her gaze sweeping over the laughing and chatting crowd. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she made a suggestion:
"How about we play Truth or Dare?"
Shen Yao was the first to respond. He put down his wine glass and gave a malicious smile.
"OK!"
"This is interesting~"
Bai Youyuan reacted even faster, smiling as she picked up an empty wine bottle, placed it in the center of the low table in front of everyone, and gently spun it around.
“I think that’s a good idea too. Let’s use this bottle. Whoever the bottle is turned to will be the owner.”
Apart from Gu Beiyan, who remained seated and silent, everyone else smiled and agreed. Thus, the game, proposed by Nan Qing and hosted by Bai Youyuan, began.
Bai Youyuan flicked her wrist slightly and twisted the bottle forcefully, causing it to slowly come to a stop under the slightly tense gazes of the crowd.
The entire space was unusually quiet.
Of the eight pairs of eyes, seven were fixed on the spinning beer bottle.
In the end, the bottle mouth pointed precisely at Xie Chi.
Shen Yao nudged Xie Chi with his elbow and said jokingly, "See? It's still you~"
Bai Youyuan also tossed her long, wavy hair, rested her chin on her hand, and lightly touched her cheek with her long crystal nail polish.
"Oh, so are you going to choose truth or dare?"
According to the rules, whoever spins the bottle gets to ask a question, so in this round, Bai Youyuan is the one who asks Xie Chi a question.
Xie Chi subconsciously sat up straight, his gaze quickly sweeping towards Bai Youyuan, but then quickly looking away. He cleared his throat and said:
Choose truth.
Bai Youyuan curled her red lips and deliberately winked her right eye at Xie Chi, who was stealing glances at her. The glitter at the corner of her eye sparkled in the warm light. When she spoke, her voice rose at the end, carrying a seductive aura.
"So tell me, among the guests here, who is your favorite...?"
Sitting on the other side, Nan Qing's eyes widened as she grabbed Gu Beiyan, who was fiddling with her right hand, and whispered excitedly in his ear:
"Gu Beiyan, look quickly, look quickly."
"I'm going to confess my feelings! I'm going to confess my feelings!!"
Gu Beiyan lowered his eyes and looked at Nan Qing holding his hand. He shook her hand back. Although he didn't quite understand where her excitement came from, he still responded with an "Mmm" and followed her gaze to look at Xie Chi.
Xie Chi's body visibly stiffened. He raised his hand and touched the back of his buzz-cut head. Under the intense gazes of the crowd, his eyes swept over the faces of the four female guests one by one.
First, he quickly glanced past Nan Qing, who was clinging tightly to Gu Beiyan, then quickly swept over Qu Sheng, who was looking at him with a half-smile, and then looked at Jiang Fan, who was eating a skewer of chicken wings with curiosity in his eyes.
Finally, there was Bai Youyuan, as bright and beautiful as ever. Today she was wearing a red off-the-shoulder dress, her brown-red curly hair draped lazily over her shoulders. When she saw him looking over, she deliberately bit her straw and winked at him.
Xie Chi abruptly turned his face away, finally fixing his gaze on—
"I choose Shen Yao!"
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